TX / county FIPS 48049 / county research

Brown County, Texas: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Brown County is 171.2 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Leukemia deaths at 1.9 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 210 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (89), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (71), Toxic chemical release facility (TRI) (11). EPA AirToxScreen estimates a lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics of 20 in a million, driven mainly by formaldehyde.

Rates are age-adjusted per 100,000 people. A cancer signal is marked significant when the lower bound of its 95 percent confidence interval is above the U.S. rate. Facility counts use active federal records located inside the county boundary. Approximate county center: 31.7703, -98.9594.

How this county ranks in Texas

View on the heat map Scan an address in this county

Cancer deaths and new cases versus the United States

Source: NCI and CDC State Cancer Profiles, both sexes, all ages. Sorted by the ratio of the county rate to the U.S. rate.

Cancer rates for Brown County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Leukemia	Deaths	10.9	5.7	1.91xSignificant	7 to 16.2	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	27.6	17.9	1.54xSignificant	21.2 to 35.5	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	10.1	6.6	1.53x	6.5 to 15	2020-2024
Leukemia	New cases	20.6	14.5	1.42xSignificant	15.2 to 27.5	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	171.2	143.2	1.2xSignificant	156 to 187.6	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	New cases	10.4	8.7	1.2x	6.8 to 15.5	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	33.8	30.2	1.12x	27.5 to 41.3	2020-2024
Pancreas	Deaths	12.5	11.3	1.11x	8.7 to 17.7	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	19.8	18.7	1.06x	15 to 25.9	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	14.6	13.9	1.05x	10.4 to 20.1	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	54.2	51.8	1.05x	46 to 63.5	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	443.5	453.4	0.98x	417.8 to 470.5	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	14.4	18.5	0.78x	9.8 to 20.4	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	16.6	23.8	0.7x	12 to 22.6	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	9	13	0.69x	5.3 to 14.3	2019-2023

Mortality measures versus the U.S. county median

Source: County Health Rankings, built from CDC National Vital Statistics System death records. The comparison value is the median of all U.S. counties.

Mortality measures for Brown County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	11,762.1	9,842.6	+20%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	72.3	75.3	-4%	years
Child mortality	66.8	59.8	+12%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	n/a	6.2	n/a	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	74.7	96.9	-23%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	9.6	28.6	-66%	deaths per 100,000

Air toxics and air quality

EPA AirToxScreen 2020

Lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics: 20 in a million. EPA treats 100 in a million as the upper end of acceptable risk and 1 in a million as the goal.

Formaldehyde17.34 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.79 per million
Acetaldehyde1.26 per million
Benzene0.54 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

No EPA air quality monitor reports daily AQI for this county.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

210 active records inside the county from EPA ECHO, TRI, Superfund, Brownfields, NPDES, EIA, FAA, FRA and corrections data.

Rail grade crossing89
NPDES wastewater discharge permit71
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)11
TRI reporting facility9
Major air pollution source5
Gas station (mapped facility)5
Small hazardous waste generator4
Public airport3
Large greenhouse gas emitter3
Air permit holder (minor source)2
Commercial airport1
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)1
Brownfield property1
Dry cleaner (mapped facility)1
Large hazardous waste generator1
Hazardous waste transporter1
Scrapyard (mapped facility)1
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)1

Highest-severity records

The 25 records with the highest Envyrofax severity in the county, with the agency identifier to cite in a records request.

Kohler Co, Brownwood
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene, Zinc compounds, Methyl methacrylate, Dimethyl phthalate and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 1,270,952 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 76804KHLRCMILAM (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.2
3m Co - Brownwood, Brownwood
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Xylene (mixed isomers), n-Butyl alcohol, Barium And Barium Compounds, Methyl isobutyl ketone and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 462,028 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 76804MCMPNCAMPB (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.8
Sawyer Oilfield Products, Brownwood
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene. Reports carcinogens. 74,585 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7680WSWYRL27VIR (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.2
Vrc Technologies, Brownwood
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Formaldehyde, Ethylene glycol, Nonylphenol Ethoxylates and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 62,850 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7680WVRCTC14121 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.2
Us Army National Guard Camp Bowie Ranges, Brownwood
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens. 10,969 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 76801SRMYC561FM (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.6
3m Co - Brownwood, Brownwood
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $41,625.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000599273 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.3
Kohler Co. - Brownwood - Main Plant, Brownwood
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006125674 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
Sawyer Oilfield Brownwood Facility, Brownwood
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070550790 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Kohler Co, Brownwood
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methyl methacrylate. 4,002 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 76804KHLRC2901M (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.8
Vrc Technologies, Brownwood
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110067396062 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
U.S. Army Camp Bowie, Brownwood
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110037145238 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.4
Wright Asphalt Products - Brownwood, Brownwood
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Naphthalene, Polycyclic aromatic compounds, Benzo[g,h,i]perylene. Reports carcinogens. 6 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 7680WWRGHT155CU (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.1
Potters Industries Llc, Brownwood
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens. 3 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 76801PTTRSCRSSP (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5
Brownwood, Brownwood
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 7680WBRWNWUS377 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
3m Co - Brownwood, Brownwood
Major air pollution source. Penalties $41,625.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000599273 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Blanket Wwtp, Blanket
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110022290723 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Brownwood Regional Landfill, Brownwood
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064105613 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Superior Essex International Inc., Brownwood
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Copper, Antimony And Antimony Compounds, Antimony compounds. 68 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 76801SPRRCMORRI (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.4
Superior Essex International, Brownwood
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000460652 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.4
Wright Asphalt Products, Brownwood
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071284825 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.2
Potters Industries Inc., Brownwood
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110022523893 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.1
3m Co - Brownwood, Brownwood
Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $41,625.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000599273 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
3m Co - Brownwood, Brownwood
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $41,625.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000599273 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Brownwood Regional Landfill, Brownwood
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064105613 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Kings Point Cove Wwtp, Brownwood
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $47,010.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064623741 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4

Correctional facilities

Prisons, jails and corrections operations with an EPA facility record, and the drinking water and wastewater compliance attached to them.

No correctional facility with an EPA record is located in this county.

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Brown County

Texas state cancer registry
Cancer incidence counts by census tract or ZIP code, by cancer type and year (de-identified). Any cancer cluster inquiries or investigations in Brown County, and their findings.
Texas vital statistics office
Death certificate counts by cause of death and residence tract or ZIP code, and the years behind the mortality measures above.
Texas health department, environmental epidemiology
Health consultations or assessments by ATSDR or the state health department covering the county, and any exposure investigations.
Texas environmental agency and the U.S. EPA regional office
Compliance history, inspection reports, notices of violation, penalties and enforcement actions for each facility above, cited by EPA FRS registry ID.
Texas drinking water program
Violation notices, sampling results and sanitary surveys for the public water systems serving the county, including any system serving a correctional facility.
Department of corrections or county sheriff
Water testing, grievances and environmental health inspections for the correctional facilities listed above.

Each Envyrofax address report includes a printable records request worksheet with the custodian and the exact request wording per finding.

Scan an address in Brown County View on the heat map All Texas counties